


Sin City Summer

by DestinyIslandWanderer



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bachelorette Party, Bartenders, Clubbing, Dirty Dancing, Drunken Shenanigans, Las Vegas, M/M, Meet-Cute, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Summer Romance, Surprises, iggy gone wild
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:07:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24736642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DestinyIslandWanderer/pseuds/DestinyIslandWanderer
Summary: When Gladio comes across Prompto passed out in a cabana during his bartending shift, he quickly realizes the boy is a hot mess… A really, reallycutehot mess that Gladio is more than happy to clean up over the course of one crazy Las Vegas weekend.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Prompto Argentum, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret/Aranea Highwind, Noctis Lucis Caelum/Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum/Cindy Aurum
Comments: 38
Kudos: 51





	1. Prompto is a Hot Mess

“Hey, are you okay?” Gladio asked a pale figure passed out in one of the cabanas he was serving for the afternoon.

Gladio only had a few hours left of his shift, and it wouldn’t be great for him if one of his guests ended up in an ambulance on the way to getting his stomach pumped. 

“Huh? Yeah!” the man replied, sitting up on his elbows to squint at Gladio who was backlit by the bright, Las Vegas midsummer sun. 

From this vantage point, Gladio could ascertain what he had already suspected. This guy was cute - _really cute_ \- like Gladio’s exact dream guy cute. Messy, sun-bleached hair, petite build, and holy fuck those adorable freckles.

“You need some water? Or...anything?” Gladio asked. 

“Yeah, water would be good,” he nodded.

“Have you been drinking?”

“A little,” Prompto said, squishing his fingers to indicate the amount. “I haven’t had that much cause I don’t like hard liquor,” he explained, comically fumbling over his own limbs as he attempted to fully sit up, suggesting he’d been drinking more than he was letting on. Wouldn’t be the first time that had happened poolside in Las Vegas, particularly on Gladio’s shift. 

“So if you don’t like hard liquor, what _do_ you like?” Gladio asked.

“I’m more of a Mike’s Hard Lemonade guy, if I’m being honest, dude, but I also like white wine.”

“We don’t have Mike’s, but I’ll see what I can do for you about the wine,” Gladio winked, his attempt at charm totally lost on the blond who continued looking up at him half-lidded, the sun shining almost directly in his eyes. 

“You don’t have sunglasses?” Gladio asked.

“Nah, lost ‘em at some point over the week, and I can’t afford new ones,” Prompto shrugged. “Everything’s so expensive here.”

“So how’d you end up in a cabana?” Gladio asked. It wasn’t cheap to score a cabana on Temptation day at the Luxor. Right now Prompto was relaxing poolside amidst gigantic pyramids outside an Egyptian-themed casino. Temptation was one of the hottest gay events in town, attracting some of the sexiest young tourists, mostly male. That’s why Gladio loved picking up extra shifts here. He met a lot of hot guys, and the ones he didn’t meet, he got to admire from afar. But none of them were quite like the glorious hot mess in front of him. 

“It’s my friends’ bachelorette party,” Prompto explained. “They’re paying for everything.” 

“Where are you friends?”

“They’re in the pool.”

“So why aren’t you?”

“Ehh,” he said, scratching the back of his neck nervously. “I’d just rather not.”

Gladio eyed him curiously. Seemed odd to come all the way to Las Vegas in the middle of summer and not even be tempted by the pool. “What’s your name?”

“Prompto.”

“I’m Gladio. Nice to meet you. Stay put, okay? I’ll be back.”

“You got it,” Prompto said with a thumbs up before falling back onto the couch. 

Gladio went immediately to the bar where he saw his favorite co-worker (and best friend) busting ass to pump out drinks at the overcrowded bar.

“Hey Iggy,” he said, “Would you mind if I stole a couple mini bottles of white wine?”

Ignis gave him a solid glare of disapproval. “Who is it now?” he grumbled as he finished off a drink with a dash of club soda.

“A sexy blond with an appetite for white wine.”

“And your dick apparently,” Ignis mumbled as he started mixing two drinks at once.

“Oh, c’mon, Iggy! Not everyone has a hot young thing to come home to. Take pity on me. Pleeeassee?”

“He’s only five years younger,” Ignis huffed, though he blushed a little when he said it.

“Hey, you _know_ I like Noctis, but he just _barely_ turned 21. Like I said, he’s a baby.”

“He’ll be 22 in August!” Ignis protested. “So how old is the gentleman you're after today?”

“Probably 21,” Gladio admitted coyly. 

“Fine! You can take the wine, but if you get distracted by this mysterious young stranger and leave me to do all this work alone, I’ll never speak to you again. I can’t believe how hard I’m working while you’re out there flirting like it’s your job!”

“I’m a cabana boy, so yeah, it kinda _is_ my job,” Gladio winked as Ignis rolled his eyes, his lips curving into a begrudging smile.

Gladio grabbed a water bottle before heading to the sundries shack.

“Hey Cindy!”

“Hey sugar,” Cindy exclaimed, leaning across the counter and wrapping her arms around his neck, giving him a kiss that landed so close to his lips he had to assume the mistake was intentional. “How’s my work hubby today?” she asked.

“I’m alright. Met a cute guy in one of the cabanas.”

“Oh yeah?” she said, bending down with her elbows on the register and looking at him eagerly. “Dish,” she commanded.

“Blonde hair, blue eyes. A shorty with _freckles_. Seems pretty toasted, but I’m gonna at least give him my number for later. That’s why I’m here actually. I’m gonna buy him some sunglasses.”

“Poor baby doesn’t have sunglasses in Las Vegas on a day with a high of 110? Lord have mercy. Here, just take ‘em,” she offered, grabbing the nearest pair from the display.

“You won’t get in trouble?”

“Nah,” she shook her head. “I’ll just say they broke or somethin’, but I doubt anyone’ll notice. Y’all have fun. Be careful,” she teased. “You know us blondes break hearts, right?”

“I know,” he smiled, giving her another quick hug before departing with two mini bottles of Sutter Homes wine, a Fiji water bottle, and sunglasses in hand. All in all, it was almost $100 worth of goods after Las Vegas inflation. 

He returned to find Prompto passed out again.

“Uh hey,” Gladio said as he approached. Prompto was unresponsive, so Gladio gave him a gentle nudge on the shoulder.

“Wah!” Prompto screamed as he opened his eyes and saw Gladio standing over him. “Oh sorry,” he said, blushing. “I didn’t notice you.”

He stared at Gladio for a couple seconds too long, looking pleasantly dazed. Gladio could see his face better now that he was under the shade of the cabana, and Prompto could obviously see him better too. Based solely on his expression, Gladio got the feeling Prompto liked what he saw. 

“So uhh,” Gladio said. “I got you some stuff...Couple bottles of wine, water -which you should really drink first - and sunglasses,” he offered, placing them into Prompto’s hand.

“You did all that for me?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Why?”

“Because I think you’re cute.”

“No way,” Prompto balked, taking a few seconds to eye Gladio’s physique, making zero effort to hide that he was checking him out. Gladio was all the happier for it. He didn’t work out this much and wear only a black Speedo to work for men not to notice him, after all.

“Why don’t you believe me? You’re sexy as hell,” Gladio replied, looking around just to be sure none of his less forgiving co-workers were around to hear him so shamelessly hitting on a customer.

Prompto blushed, which Gladio found so wildly endearing, he could think of nothing else to say. He felt like an open-mouthed idiot and realized he should probably excuse himself, at least for now. He could practically feel Ignis’s wrath from across the pool.

“So, um, I’m gonna give you my number,” Gladio said, “And if you wanna hang out later, just text me.”

“Where are you staying?” Prompto asked.

“Oh, I uh, I live in Las Vegas. I’m a local...I work here,” Gladio listed off various versions of the same explanation, feeling confused by Prompto’s apparent confusion. He guessed his work uniform didn’t exactly scream “employee,” but he _did_ have the word Luxor written across his ass.

“Ohhh. That explains some things,” Prompto mused. “I just thought you were some nice dude who was afraid I was blackout.”

“Well, I am glad to see you _aren’t_ blackout. A lot of people go too hard in Vegas. Just wanted to be sure you weren’t one of them. If you got sick, I wouldn’t be able to take you out later… I mean, if you want to go out?” 

“It’s kinda my friends’ bachelorette party so I’m not sure if I can sneak away, ya know?”

“Right,” Gladio said, feeling his heart sink a little. “Well, I’m glad I got to meet you regardless, Prompto...Let me know if you need anything or if you change your mind, kay? Remember you have my number now.”

Gladio made to leave, but felt Prompto’s hand grasp his. “It’s not because I don’t think you’re smokin’ hot, dude. Cause you _are_. I just...don’t wanna be rude to my friends, especially when they’re paying for everything.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Gladio said, trying to act like he wasn’t totally reeling from Prompto’s sudden touch. “I understand, even though I hope you’ll reconsider.”

Prompto looked up at him a little dazed without letting go of his hand. Gladio was aware he couldn’t exactly stand here for too long holding a customer’s hand, so he gently stepped away after reminding Prompto he’d come back to check on him. 

His mind was still hazy with thoughts of the blond when he showed up at the bar to find Ignis working at a feverish pace, making three drinks at once now.

“Where have you _been_ Gladiolus?! Do you want to get us both fired?”

“Sorry, Iggy. I’m here. What do you need?”

Gladio helped Ignis get through the rush, and as things started to wind down, he made his way back towards Prompto’s cabana with Ignis’s reluctant blessing.

He knew right away that the blond had been enjoying the wine. He was wearing the sunglasses, sitting with both elbows propped on the back of the couch, one leg resting on the opposite knee and double fisting the mini bottles each with a straw inside, one pinky inexplicably out like he was a royal drinking a cup of tea on a fucking Sunday afternoon.

Gladio didn’t know whether to laugh at him or propose to him. He was so cute and hilarious and seemed like a helluva lot of fun, all traits Gladio absolutely adored.

When Gladio got closer, Prompto stood up, haphazardly putting the wine bottles down and pressing his body to Gladio’s, pulling at his neck and trying to kiss him without so much as a greeting. Gladio had the advantage of his height and was able to dodge him, but the surprise of it made him lose his composure momentarily. 

“Uh, wow Prompto, uhh I would _love_ to kiss you, but I can’t since I’m at work, and you’re obviously wasted,” he added with a grin.

“Whaaat?! I’m _wasted_?!” Prompto exclaimed. “I juz had a few glasses of el vino!”

Gladio examined the mini bottles, and Prompto followed suit. One was empty, the other was _almost_ empty.

“Whoopsy daisy! _Saw-ry_ ,” Prompto sang, taking the straw out of the bottle that still had wine in it and casting it aside unceremoniously before downing the rest of the beverage in one gulp.

Gladio couldn’t have been more smitten, but he was also a little worried.

“Hey maybe you should go find your friends? Get in the pool? It might be nice to cool down, don’t you think?”

Mostly Gladio just wanted to get him away from all the tempting open liquor still sitting at the table. Gladio had meant for the wine to be a nice gesture, but he realized it had been a bit irresponsible.

“Can I tell-u a secret?” Prompto slurred in a comically loud whisper. “About why I’m not in the pool.”

“Sure,” Gladio replied, trying to disguise his grin at how cute Prompto was while intoxicated. 

“I used-ta be fat, and now I don’t like wearing a swimsuit because I don’t look good,” he explained.

Gladio just looked at him for a few moments, surprised to hear such a personal confession from someone he’d just met, let alone a confession he could relate to.

“I was overweight as a kid too,” Gladio revealed.

“Nawwww!” Prompto responded, eyeing Gladio’s toned pecs and six pack.

“I spent a long time trying to look like this,” Gladio explained. “And my tattoos were designed to cover some of my stretch marks.”

“Yeah, well, I tried to look good too, but I wasn’t so successful,” Prompto mumbled.

“I beg to differ. You’re a total babe. A blond bombshell, I think they say?”

“Oh?” Prompto squeaked. “Thanks.”

“Let me take you out later. _Please_?”

“My friends-“

“I know, but… just think about it?”

“Okay.”

“And maybe hold off on the drinks for a bit.”

“Alright,” Prompto agreed before reaching out to draw a line between Gladio’s abs, sending a little jolt to his groin. He couldn’t risk getting a hard-on at work, so he gently took Prompto’s hand, intertwining Prompto’s fingers with his own. “I’ll come check on you at the end of my shift, okay? In case you change your mind.”

Prompto nodded. 

“Even if I have to come find you tonight,” Gladio offered. “I’m happy to meet up with you anywhere. I just wanna see if I can take you up on that kiss somewhere more private.”

“Heh,” Prompto said nervously, scratching the back of his neck. “Sorry for tryna hit on you at work, butcha came at me with all that,” Prompto said, waving his hand wildly at Gladio’s chest and abs, “So you were kinda asking for it...Oh shit, dude. I sound like a sexual predator,” Prompto said before bursting out laughing. 

“In this case, I was _totally_ asking for it,” Gladio said suggestively, leaning to whisper in Prompto’s ear. “I’ll come find you again when my shift ends.”

The dazed look on Prompto’s face was adorable as Gladio departed to finish up the last few hours of his shift. He clocked out with only a little bit of ribbing from Ignis who still had two hours to go and wanted Gladio to stay late. Gladio changed into normal clothes (a black muscle shirt and cargo shorts) in the employee bathroom and went in search of Prompto one final time.

It appeared Prompto’s friends were finally back. There were two stunning young women, one platinum blonde and one with silver hair, both wearing white swimsuits and matching bachelorette crowns, along with a debonair gentleman with shoulder-length, silver-blond hair. 

When Prompto noticed Gladio, he went red again. Gladio was afraid he’d done something wrong, but then the silver-haired bachelorette stood up and greeted him, pulling him by the arm out of earshot of the others.

“You’re the guy who’s after Prompto’s heart, right?” she whispered, in a pleasantly deep and rich voice. It was clear from the scent on her breath that she’d been drinking, but it seemed she held her liquor better than Prompto.

“Yeah, guess you could say that,” Gladio smiled. 

“Good. That boy needs to get laid. He’s cute, but he’s shit at flirting. We came to this pool party for him. We left him alone as bait, and...I’m happy to find it actually worked,” she said as she eyed Gladio proudly. “I’m Aranea,” she said, putting out her hand.

“Gladio.”

“Good to learn your name. Prompto couldn’t remember it. He drank a _little_ too much, but he’ll be alright. Come meet my wife-to-be,” she offered, making her way back to the cabana, sitting next to the platinum blonde and throwing an arm around her shoulder. 

“This is Luna and her brother Ravus,” she gestured.

They both stood and shook his hand, and Gladio sat next to Prompto. 

“So what’s your deal?” Aranea asked, taking a sip of her drink.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, what’s your deal? What do you do here in Las Vegas?”

“Well, uhhh…obviously I work here on Fridays, but the rest of the week… you ever heard of Chippendales?”

“No _fucking_ way!” Aranea screamed, shoving Prompto playfully. “Prompto! A fucking _male entertainer_ has a boner for you! I told you you’re a sexy son of a bitch, Prom. You never listen to me.”

Gladio snuck a glance at Prompto who appeared to be slowly succumbing to death by embarrassment. 

Luna chimed in to try to diffuse the situation. “So you work at the show _and_ you work here too? You seem to be a busy man.”

“I’m only here on Fridays. I like to pick up the extra shifts for fun.”

“This is fun for you?” Aranea raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Seems like a pain in the ass job to me.”

“Well, you meet all kinds of great people,” Gladio insisted.

“You mean like hot guys?” she clarified.

“Exactly like hot guys,” Gladio affirmed, inspired by her bluntness, a quality they both seemed to share.

“I like him,” Aranea addressed Prompto. “He’s an honest man. Perfect for our little Prom Prom,” she said, pinching Prompto’s cheek. “So uh, we’re gonna get out of here,” she told Gladio. “What’s your plan for later?”

“First, tell me where you’re staying?”

“Over at the Cosmo.”

_Damn, nice hotel._

“Want a ride?”

She sized him up and shrugged. “Sure. Why not? It’s a long walk to the rideshare pick-up anyway.”

They collected all their things, and Prompto was quiet as they headed towards Gladio’s car in the employee parking lot. 

Gladio spoke to him softly so the others couldn’t hear. “Hey, are you okay with this? You seem…I dunno. Quiet.”

“I just wish Aranea didn’t make such a big deal out of things. She’s acting like I’ve never talked to a dude before.”

“Nah, seems to me like she’s just looking out for you.”

“Yeah, by making me look like an idiot who’s never talked to a dude before.”

“Hey, Prompto, in case I didn’t make it clear, I like you and your friends. You think I chauffeur random customers around in my free time? So could you please put me out of my fucking misery and let me know if you like me back?” 

“Yeah, I like you. I like you a lot actually.”

“Good. Cause I’d have to make you take a cab if you didn’t,” he teased.

Gladio rolled the top down on his new Regalia and let his summer music playlist blast. He drove them down Las Vegas Boulevard in spite of the traffic, occasionally glancing at Prompto in the passenger seat as he gawked at the scenery, and catching glances of Aranea and Luna making out in the back seat. Ravus appeared to be taking a nap. 

He felt a hand on his shoulder, “Hey Glad, what’re you doing later?” Aranea asked.

“Prom, if he’s lucky,” Luna joked.

Aranea gasped at her. “That’s my future wife!” she announced proudly, placing a sloppy kiss on Luna’s cheek. “Since when are you so naughty, Luna? Fuck, I love drunk Luna, and I love Las Vegas. Come here, baby,” she said, luring Luna in for another kiss.

Gladio snuck a glance at Prompto whose face was in his hand, beet red again. 

“I’m sorry, Prompto,” Luna soothed, breaking away from her fiancée. “We just love you and want you to enjoy your first time in Vegas.”

Seeing Prompto was obviously still embarrassed, Gladio guided them back to their original subject. “I don’t have any plans tonight.”

“Well, that’s just perfect! We’ve got a table at Omnia,” Aranea told him, naming one of the hottest nightclubs in Las Vegas. “Please join us. We’ll have a private table, bottle service - the works.”

“Don’t have to ask twice,” Gladio agreed. “As long as Prompto wants me there?” 

“Of course,” Prompto said softly. 

His earnestness took Gladio by surprise. Gladio felt the warmth of possibility spread inside his chest. This was why he’d moved to Las Vegas in the first place and why he still loved the city. You could meet people from all around the world, fall in love with a stranger, and make lifelong friends in the course of an afternoon. 

“Hey, uh, would you mind if I invited some friends tonight?” Gladio asked. “My best friend’s boyfriend has been trying to drag him out clubbing for ages, and I think he might finally go for it with the promise of a place to sit. He’s a 26-year-old with the habits of a senior citizen,” Gladio explained. “He’s gonna complain about hearing damage half the night and try to give you all earplugs, but get a few drinks in him, and he’s one of the funnest people in existence. His boyfriend’s cool too.”

“Sounds positively sublime,” Aranea agreed. “The more the merrier.”

“That’s what I like to hear. I just need to go home to grab a change of clothes first.”

“Pass me your phone so I can give you my number to meet up with us later,” Aranea said.

Gladio did as requested before pulling into the valet area and dropping them off. Prompto waited for everyone else to file out of the car before he turned to Gladio. 

“Thanks for the ride and the wine... and the sunglasses. I really, honestly can’t believe you did all that for me, but um…I’m lookin’ forward to tonight,” he smiled.

Gladio reached across the seat and tucked a strand of messy hair behind his ear. “Me too, Prompto.”

“Don’t take too long, okay?”

“I’m showering as fast as I can and speeding right back, I promise. If I didn’t have to leave you for one second, I wouldn’t.”

That got a very satisfying blush and smile from Prompto. 

“See ya later,” Prompto said coyly, stepping out of the car door and only tripping slightly on his own feet as he walked away. He wasn’t fully sober yet obviously, but damn was he a cute drunk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the next chapter, our sexy friends hit the club, and Prompto gets to dance sandwiched between Cindy and Gladio - living the dream! Comments and kudos are cherished gifts if you enjoyed chapter 1. Thanks so much for reading!


	2. Prompto Gets to Twerk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was positively delighted by the fact that everyone chose their character in the comments section of chapter 1! Takykardi is Ravus asleep in the car (the smart one), Kyaptain is drunk Prompto (the cute one), KikiStorm is Iggy passing out earplugs at the club (our guardian angel - we don’t deserve you!). I’m Cindy- thirsty to hear all the latest gossip at work, breaking company policy in the name of helping out the common man, and trying to casually kiss Gladio for...reasons.
> 
> P.S. I did not at all plan to write over 6K words for this chapter, but here we are! Please enjoy your authentic Las Vegas clubbing experience as told by a local (but way better because the entire cast of FFXV is there and you can enjoy it while sitting on your couch)! 😆

Gladio called up Ignis on his drive home.

“You’re going out tonight, Iggy.”

“Oh, is that right?”

“Yup, you and Noctis. I scored us a table at Omnia via that cute guy I met.”

“I was going to help Noctis paint his apartment tonight.”

“On a Friday night? Ignis fucking Scientia, are you out of your goddamn mind?”

“Gladio…”

“I’m hanging up now and calling Noct.”

Gladio did just that.

“Heyyy Gladio! Sup?”

“You wanna party tonight?”

“Hell yeah.”

“Bring Iggy?”

“You got it.”

“You’re good for him, you know.”

“I know. What time?”

“Depends. Wanna pre-game at the Cosmo?”

“Hell yeah.”

“Meet me innn… an hour?”

“Done.”

“Did I mention we’re getting table service at Omnia?”

“The hell did you manage that?!”

“Met the right people at work today.”

“You’re saying Iggy let you actually _talk to people at work?”_

Gladio laughed. “See you in an hour, Noct.”

“Sweet,” Noctis said as he hung up the phone.

In all the years he’d known Ignis, his best friend had always fallen for stuck-up, pretentious pricks who annoyed the shit out of Gladio. It was a relief to know Iggy was finally dating someone _cool._

Gladio stopped by the liquor store before returning home and ascending twenty floors to his one-bedroom apartment in downtown. His place had an incredible view of Fremont Street and the Strip beyond that, and he hadn’t gotten sick of it once in the two years he’d lived there. 

He hooked up his phone to the speaker and let his summer playlist blast while he delighted in the promise of the evening. If he was lucky, he could bring Prompto back with him tonight. He pictured both of them weary from the club, living off the fumes of red bull vodkas, the sun just beginning to rise after a series of insane and unexpected events that Vegas nights always seemed to bring.

He imagined himself laying Prompto down on the couch and exploring every inch of him, watching those blue eyes stare into his with longing as Gladio kneeled down to pleasure him, watching him writhe and moan as he dug his fingernails into Gladio’s hair. 

He paused as he remembered Prompto’s fears about his stretch marks. Gladio would kiss every beautiful inch of him, worship every perceived imperfection. It would be his pleasure to prove to Prompto that he was fucking hot, and Gladio liked slow lovemaking just as much as he enjoyed straightforward fucking. 

Gladio stripped off his clothes and made his way to the bathroom, keeping the water lukewarm so he could cool off from his day spent in the Las Vegas sun. 

He imagined the blond in the shower with him and began to touch himself. Gladio would love to get a close-up of those sweet freckles and that charming smile. He got the impression Prompto would be generous in bed, shy but adventurous.

He increased his pace, imagining bending Prompto over, his hands pressed to the shower wall, Gladio reaching for his ass and ploughing into him, seeing Prompto come undone, his shyness melting away as he called out Gladio’s name, stroking himself as he begged Gladio for more.

Damn, that mischievous smile and those freckles, that golden hair, everything about him so sexy and cute, like he was invented just for Gladio. His orgasm came swiftly, and he rode it in luxury as the water poured down his chest, placing his hand on the shower wall for support. 

Jacking off had been a good idea. Now he could last a little longer tonight.

Gladio pulled the top half of his hair into a tie and let the rest fall down. He put on his favorite black pants and belt with an open shirt that parted to show off his bare chest and abs. He had ambitions of Prompto feeling him up on the dance floor and felt the stirrings of his erection return as he imagined it. The idea was particularly enticing because of how Prompto had so brazenly reached for him earlier. He couldn’t wait to let the blonde fully indulge in his urges (whatever they might be) safely guarded by the anonymity of a crowded nightclub dance floor.

He poured himself a double shot of Malibu (fuck it, he only drank whiskey when someone was watching) and downed it before grabbing the Mike’s Hard Lemonade he’d gotten for Prompto, picking up his wallet, checking one last time for his ID, and calling a Lyft so he wouldn’t have to worry about driving back tonight. He fully intended to be too wasted for that. 

Las Vegas summers always got him in this reckless mood, yearning for the adrenaline rush that came with knowing that in a world of easy vices, anything was possible.

It wasn’t only Prompto that would make tonight amazing. Aranea and Luna seemed like a ton of fun, and he knew Noctis was the same. Ignis would be fine once he got a few drinks in him, and Ravus was still a wild card. It was always good to have one of those to keep things interesting.

He hopped in the car and texted Noctis that he was 15 minutes away from the Cosmo. He received an immediate text back telling him they were already there and would meet him at The Chandelier Bar, an extremely posh and luxurious place in the center of the casino floor.

Gladio was pleased to discover Ignis already sipping a gin martini (his signature) and Noctis with some kind of fruity drink that he was sure Ignis had attempted to veto. Thankfully, even Ignis’s stubbornness was no match for Noctis’s charm. About damn time Ignis met his match.

“Gladiooo!” Ignis exclaimed, standing to hug him and swaying a little, a very good sign that Drunk Ignis (his favorite version) was quickly forthcoming.

“How many has he had?” Gladio said as he gave Noctis a quick hug.

Noctis shrugged. “They make ‘em strong here, so technically two, but imma guess it’s at least three, maybe four.”

“Well, we should probably make him cut back for a bit. Don’t get me wrong. You _know_ I love me some drunk Iggy.”

“Me too, dude. Me too,” Noctis smiled. “Thanks for inviting us. About time I got Iggy to go out. Thought it might never happen.”

“I can hear everything you’re saying, you know,” Ignis huffed as he pulled one of the miniature red straws out of Noctis’s drink and used it to finish the last of his martini, giving Gladio a happy flashback to Prompto with his mini wine bottles. 

“We know,” Noctis said fondly, wrapping his arms around Ignis from behind and planting a kiss on his temple. Gladio noted with pleasure how Ignis’s frustration melted at this small gesture of affection.

Gladio pulled out his phone and texted Aranea for the room number. She replied quickly, and Gladio felt a rush of unexpected nerves at the thought of seeing Prompto again. Usually he was pure confidence when it came to picking up guys, but he felt like the stakes were higher tonight simply because of how much he liked Prompto.

“Everything good, Gladio?” Noctis asked, patting him on the back.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m just nervous.”

“So what’s the deal with this guy anyway? Iggy told me a little, but he was grumbling so much about the bar being backed up that I didn’t catch most of it,” Noctis said as he downed the rest of his drink, dropped a tip and started walking towards the hotel elevators. 

“Yeah, he’s… he’s really cute, and he’s really quirky, funny, but kinda shy… I dunno. I just really like him. I have a good feeling, ya know?”

“Look at that _smile!_ ” Noctis teased. “He looks like you did the first time you met me, Iggy.”

Ignis eyed Gladio warily before he responded. “I don’t think I was quite so discomposed.”

“Huh, interesting you would say that,” Noctis smirked, looking at Gladio to back him up.

“Sorry, Ig. You might as well have been drooling,” Gladio chuckled. “You couldn’t even have a normal conversation with me.”

Ignis turned slightly pink as they entered the elevator where Noctis pushed Iggy against the wall and kissed him. “Hey, you know I didn’t mind, right? It wasn’t like I could exactly take my eyes off you either.”

Ignis looked totally bereft of his wits for one hilarious (and admittedly sweet) moment, before he cleared his throat and took a step to the side, becoming conveniently invested in the process of adjusting his suspenders.

The interaction took Gladio’s mind off his nerves a little as they ascended towards the penthouse suites on the 51st floor, suites that Gladio knew for a fact cost thousands of dollars a night. He wondered vaguely how two young women had that kind of money, but he wasn’t about to complain.

He knocked and heard Aranea’s voice. “Oi! Prompto, your boyfriend’s here,” she yelled.

“Geez, Ara! Can you quiet it down with that shit? I’m trying not to embarrass myself in front of him again.”

Gladio vaguely attempted to disguise his amusement as Prompto opened the door.

“Great, you heard that,” Prompto remarked, blush already creeping onto his face. “Fucking hell,” he whined. “I need another drink.”

“I got you some Mike’s Hard Lemonade,” Gladio said, offering up the six pack he’d picked up earlier.

“Gee, wow. Thanks,” Prompto said softly, grinning as he scratched the back of his neck. “That’s really nice of you.”

His visit to the liquor store had definitely been worth it.

“These are my friends,” Gladio said. “Noctis and Ignis, or Noct and Iggy, whichever you prefer.”

“No fucking way, dude!” Noctis exclaimed, staring at Prompto’s t-shirt. “ _Super Mario World_ is my _game!_ I pulled out the Super Nintendo at my dad’s place a few weeks ago, and that shit still works!”

Prompto’s enthusiasm for whatever gibberish Noctis was spouting was apparent in the enthusiastic smile on his face.

“Oh hells yeah!” Prompto exclaimed. “Just bought a Super Nintendo on eBay last year. I’m playing _Super Mario Brothers 3_ now, but _Donkey Kong Country_ is my number one fave.”

Noctis seemed incapable of processing this wonderful news, and they sat on the couch together gushing over things that Gladio vaguely remembered other kids talking about when he was growing up. Since his dad had never let him or his sister play video games, Gladio had absolutely nothing to contribute to the conversation.

At that moment, Luna came out to greet them in a tight-fitting white dress that hugged her every curve. She was unbelievably gorgeous and glamorous even with no makeup and her hair half-curled, the other half up in a clip.

She hugged Gladio first, then Ignis. “I’m Lunafreya, but I go by Luna. It’s so lovely to meet you,” she said as she shook Ignis’s hand.

Ignis looked at Gladio wide-eyed. “You didn’t tell me there was a fellow Brit here! Where are you from, Luna? I grew up in Salisbury, but I moved to London with my uncle when I was ten.”

Luna offered an enthusiastic smile as she responded, gesturing for Ignis to join her in the bathroom so she could continue getting ready while they talked.

Gladio, having now been abandoned by both his friends, walked into the next room to admire the view only to find Aranea pouring a drink while Ravus sat frowning at his laptop screen.

“If you don’t stop working soon, I’m uninviting you tonight,” Aranea warned Ravus before looking up from the mini bar at Gladio. “What can I get you to drink?”

“Whatever you’re drinking is fine.”

She sized him up. Seemed to be one of her token moves. “Vodka on the rocks?”

Gladio shrugged. “Sure, fuck it. You got a chaser?”

“A chaser? You don’t go very hard for a local,” she deadpanned, pulling out a miniature bottle of cranberry juice from the fridge and handing it to him before pouring the shots. 

“Ravus, you want in?” she asked. 

He sighed, but took the glass she offered nonetheless. 

“Cheers!” she said, forcing Ravus to raise his glass too. 

Gladio felt the pleasant warmth of the alcohol course through him, slightly assuaging his anxiety over how well Prompto and Noctis seemed to be hitting it off in the other room. 

As soon as he finished his shot, Ravus dialed a number on his phone and retreated into one of the bedrooms, closing the door behind him without a word. 

“He’s so lame,” Aranea sighed. “But whatever. He’s paying for all this, so I guess we can’t complain.”

“I was curious how you all managed to get a cabana, a private table, _and_ a penthouse.”

“Luna comes from money. Her dad’s a retired politician, but he still runs half of Great Britain from what I hear. Ravus definitely takes after _him_ if ya know what I mean. Thankfully I got the sweeter of the two siblings,” she smiled. “Another shot?”

“Sure.”

“I’ll make one for everyone,” she grinned, grabbing Gladio’s empty glass before lining up the others. 

Gladio was delightfully toasted when they exited the room, and he was pleased to find in spite of how well he’d hit things off with Noctis, Prompto was still staying behind to walk next to Gladio as they made their way towards the elevators. They were walking just behind Ignis and Luna whose arms were linked, making them look like some glamorous couple pulled out of a fashion magazine. 

Gladio was taking his time to check Prompto out now. He looked hot in tight black jeans and boots with a blue, short-sleeved button-up that matched his eyes. Prompto’s hands were in his pockets, and he seemed even more shy than before. Thankfully Gladio had a little bit of liquid courage forming a halo of warmth in his chest to calm his nerves. It had been easy enough to feel confident at work, especially knowing Prompto may not remember half of it, but now it was sneaking up on him that this was a stranger who he had a massive crush on, but didn’t actually know very well.

“So where are you all from?” Gladio asked.

“Los Angeles.”

“Not too far. That’s good,” Gladio remarked. L.A. was only a five hour drive. “So what do you do there?”

“I’m a photographer, but I’m still making a name for myself. That’s why I’m always broke. I like to shoot weddings, but I get stuck doing a lot of corporate events, stuff like that.”

“Weddings seem like a fun industry. My job’s kinda related to that, you know, with bachelorette parties.”

“You do bachelorette parties?”

“Yeah, remember how I said I work for the Chippendales show?”

“Oh right. Gotta be honest, I’m not really sure what that is. Sorry dude.”

“Well, it’s a male revue, so basically I uh dance and...take my clothes off. Sort of like stripping, but I don’t give lap dances… I mean, there’s certain acts of the show where I give them, but it’s not like in a...traditional strip club,” Gladio finished, reminding himself why he didn’t usually tell people about his job. Ara had asked so directly that he couldn’t hide the truth, but Prompto was beet red now, and it was both adorable and a little troubling since Gladio couldn’t really tell if he was making a good impression. 

“Does that, uh, weird you out?” Gladio asked. 

Prompto shook his head. “No, it’s kinda cool actually. I’d be curious to see that,” he said demurely as they stepped onto the elevator. 

Gladio couldn’t stop himself from grinning. “I could definitely make that happen for you. What are all of you doing tomorrow night?”

Aranea chimed in then. “Why do you ask?”

“Prompto wants to see my show.”

“Oh hell yes! We’re going. How do we get tickets?”

“I’ve got you covered,” Gladio said. “I’ll text Nyx now. He’s a friend of mine and also a performer. He’s dating one of the sound techs who’s best friend’s with the guy who owns the showroom...It’s a long story, but he can get you seats as long as it’s not sold out.”

“Think you could get seats for me and Iggy too?” Noctis asked. 

Ignis was clearly drunk as he put up a finger to protest. “No! I vowed _never_ to see Gladio like that.”

“Huh, that funny ‘cause I’ve _always_ wanted to see Gladio like that,” Noctis grinned, throwing him a wink. Gladio blew him a quick kiss before shooting Nyx a text.

After hitting send, he glanced at Prompto who was staring up at him. He couldn’t wait to kiss that sweet face. It was a relief that Prompto was not only into him, but apparently accepting of his career as a male entertainer. He seemed to be the absolutely perfect man.

As much as most men were intrigued by Gladio’s job at first, a lot of them became jealous, and some guys he’d dated had even asked him to quit the show before. He got the feeling Prompto wasn’t the jealous type, and neither was Gladio. That was a point in their favor. Besides, you could have a _lot_ of fun in Vegas if you weren’t the jealous type, and Gladio’s mind was already jumping to fantasies of all the mischief he and Prompto could get up to together considering that fact. 

* * *

  
  
Gladio couldn’t help but notice that Prompto hadn’t touched his drink at dinner. 

“You’re not drinking tonight?” Gladio asked

“I had a little, but, to be honest, I felt like I made a bad impression earlier, like when I tried to uh, kiss you and stuff...I just figured I should try to be less of an idiot tonight...”

“I mean, no pressure,” Gladio shrugged, “You’re great sober, but you’re also an adorable drunk, and I’d hate to get in the way of your Las Vegas experience… I guess I should’ve made it clear that I _really_ wanted to kiss you earlier,” Gladio finished in a whisper, enjoying the shy smile on Prompto’s face as he reached for his drink and took a sip.

“Guess that’s good cause I actually kinda wanted to get drunk with you tonight,” Prompto said. 

Gladio smiled at him and gave into his impulse to squeeze Prompto’s thigh under the dinner table, causing Prompto to turn a deep shade of red before he linked Gladio’s fingers through his. 

* * *

Prompto was adorably tipsy as they made their way to the club, and Gladio wasn’t feeling too bad himself. He was charmed by the way Prompto kept bumping into him as they walked together side by side. 

Gladio eventually gave in and put an arm around him, which Prompto basically took as an excuse to touch Gladio’s butt. Gladio was perfectly happy not to call him out on it, but Aranea apparently wasn’t one to let something like that slide.

“For fuck’s sake, stop groping Gladio in public, Prom!” she yelled before bursting out laughing.

“Aw! I thought it was kinda sweet,” Noctis protested. “Do what you want, Prom! It’s your life!” he yelled dreamily, prompting a shove from Aranea.

Prompto seemed just drunk enough that he didn’t go quite as red as normally would have, though he _did_ move his hand up a couple inches and pushed his fingers through Gladio’s belt loop instead.

Gladio noticed how touchy Ignis was getting with Noctis and realized he had to warn Prompto about Drunk Ignis before they arrived at Omnia. 

“Hey, I should mention something to you,” Gladio said, pulling him closer. “Ignis, uh, likes to make out with people when he’s drunk, and _people_ might include _me_ or _you_ or honestly just about anyone who he thinks _won’t_ punch him in the face, so uh, just know it’s a possibility.”

Prompto giggled at that, gripping Gladio’s waist as he almost keeled over. 

“Hold up,” Aranea said. “You’re saying Iggy makes out with random people, and Noctis doesn’t care?”

“Nope,” Gladio replied. “Actually, he thinks it’s hilarious. He keeps a tally on his phone of how many people Ignis makes out with over the course of the night so he can present it to him the next day. Of course, Iggy insists the numbers are inflated, but that’s another reason I’m glad you all are here. You can be another witness to the fact that my best friend is a total slut.”

Gladio expected either Ignis or Noctis to chime in, but they seemed entirely engrossed with each other as they led the way to the club.

They entered the tunnel of glowing lights that formed the entrance, arriving in a grand, open room that pulsated with the sound of bass and danced with laser lights while gigantic screens played psychedelic images in time with the thumping music. Gladio loved the smell of it, the sound, _the feeling_ , the promise of a night where anything could happen. He couldn’t wait to get Prompto on the dance floor.

When they sat down at the table, Ignis drunkenly pulled out a bag of ear plugs and dutifully passed them out while Noctis laughed so hard he almost fell out of the booth.

The servers brought them all the mixers and liquor they could possibly want, but Gladio was only tempted by one thing at the moment. He leaned towards Prompto. “You wanna dance?”

Prompto nodded before taking Gladio by the hand and leading him onto the floor. It was already packed with people, but they made their way towards the center where they could partake in the primal style of dirty dancing that Gladio had been waiting to perform with the blond.

Prompto stopped abruptly, turned to face him, and just looked up at him expectantly. Gladio wasn’t exactly sure what Prompto wanted, even though Gladio had some ideas. The truth was Prompto looked way too helpless and cute for such a bump and grind atmosphere, and Gladio had a sudden wish that they were back at his apartment watching movies on the couch.

That thought disappeared as soon as Prompto jumped into his arms quite literally, wrapping his legs around Gladio’s waist. Gladio reflexively held him up, and now he could see every little freckle on his face, but not for long because Prompto was kissing him (with some seriously aggressive tongue) before Gladio even had time to process what was happening.

In Gladio’s buzzed state, Prompto’s sloppy kisses were absolutely heavenly, and he responded with equal passion. Gladio was turned on by the way Prompto was touching him too, fingers digging into his scalp before sneaking under the collar of his shirt and onto his chest. Prompto was relentless, and it was all Gladio could do to keep up with him. When Prompto broke away and started kissing Gladio’s neck, he noticed a bouncer coming from across the floor, glaring at them. He knew that look well as a hospitality worker himself and reluctantly placed Prompto back on his feet.

“Sorry!” he yelled in his ear in order to be heard over the blast of the speakers that surrounded the dance floor. “That bouncer was coming over here.”

“S’good,” Prompto said, throwing his arms around Gladio’s neck and pulling him in for one last kiss before he turned around and started dancing on him. 

It felt amazing. Gladio was already half-erect from the kiss, but having Prompto’s perfectly round ass grinding into him put him over the edge. 

“Fuck, Prompto,” he groaned between gritted teeth even though he knew the blond couldn’t hear him. 

Gladio must’ve done something right at some point in his life because the next thing that happened was truly unbelievable.

Prompto was twerking on his dick.

Straight up, bent over, ass shaking, back arched deliciously like he did this for a living.

Prompto gave him a good little show before he popped back up with his back to Gladio’s chest and grabbed Gladio’s hands, gliding them down his chest and dangerously close to his groin before he turned around and started feeling Gladio up just like Gladio had been fantasizing about all day. 

Prompto was passionate and sexy as hell and Gladio was thinking about how much fun it would be to have Prompto all to himself later. But for now, he was enticed by the foreplay that was this magnificently dirty dance. 

He shivered when he felt Prompto’s tongue graze his nipple. Gladio felt wise indeed for having worn his shirt open tonight. Probably one of his best decisions ever.

Fuck, Prompto was so wild and outrageous and _funny_ he thought as Prompto pulled Gladio back down towards him, demanding another kiss that Gladio was more than happy to give.

“How’d you learn to dance like that?” Gladio asked.

“My high school’s dance team won the national championship twice when I was there. I learned the twerkin’ on my own though,” Prompto said proudly, and Gladio couldn’t help but stare at him in fond amazement. 

“I wanna ‘nother drink,” Prompto announced, taking Gladio’s hand and guiding him back to their table.

Only Aranea and Luna were left, Luna sitting in Aranea’s lap and laughing with a champagne flute in one hand as they looked out at the dance floor.

Gladio followed their gaze, and what he saw shocked and delighted him.

Ravus was being sandwiched between Noctis and Iggy. Iggy was making out with him while Noctis grinded on him from behind. Ravus’s hands were wound into Iggy’s hair, totally destroying any semblance of order as Ignis - oh shit, did Ignis really just put his hand down Ravus’s pants?! He could actually get kicked out for that. Maybe Gladio should intervene...oh thank god, Noctis had noticed and was guiding him to more familiar regions. Damn, Drunk Iggy should have his own reality TV show. Gladio would tune in for every episode. 

It was an ideal threesome, and Gladio laughed, knowing how many time Ignis had lectured Gladio on the superiority of monogamous relationships. If those three didn’t end up fucking tonight, Gladio would eat his shoe.

Gladio took a seat next to the bachelorettes and Prompto was in his lap in seconds, facing Luna.

“So what the hell did we miss?!” Gladio asked.

“Not much, honestly,” Aranea laughed. “Ravus had a couple drinks, and Iggy came onto him, and Noctis got them both out on the floor, and here we are.”

“I didn’t even know Ravus was bisexual,” Luna remarked. “Come to think of it, I’m not really surprised either. He never hooks up with anybody, but apparently he’s making an exception tonight.”

“I’m glad he is,” Gladio said, his eyes entranced by the crazy visuals now playing on the screens above the DJ booth. making him feel like he was both high and living in an alternate dimension. His eyes drifted towards the dance floor next, where he recognized a familiar face.

“You wanna meet my friend?” Gladio asked Prompto.

“Drink first?” Prompto said, waterfalling some vodka straight from the bottle until Gladio swiftly pulled it from his hands and took a reasonable swig himself before grabbing Prompto’s hand and guiding him across the room. 

“That’s Cindy,” Gladio explained, pointing up at her as she danced on a raised platform. 

“You _know_ her?!” Prompto exclaimed, wide-eyed.

“Yeah, we work together at the Luxor. She’s actually the one who helped me get you that pair of sunglasses. She’s super cool. She’ll love you.” In truth, Cindy loved pretty much everyone on principle, but she had a particular fondness for attractive men, and Prompto certainly fit the bill.

“Wow, she’s so…” Prompto said, staring up at her. 

“Hot?” Gladio finished his sentence. Gladio had never been attracted to women, but it was obvious that Cindy had a lot to offer. She looked incredible dancing in a sexy black one-piece with strategically cut triangular slits that showed off her stomach muscles, long legs, and ample chest. 

Prompto’s fascination with her seemed a little more genuine than Gladio would expect from a fully gay man. 

“You wanna dance with Cindy?” Gladio asked.

“Uhh…” Prompto said, seeming torn between his desire to say yes and his disbelief at the question.

“She’s an excellent kisser,” Gladio offered, trying to loosen him up. 

“What?! You’ve _kissed her_ before?”

“Just casual making out. We go out together sometimes, dance at the clubs. Just for fun.”

A nervous “heh” seemed to be all Prompto could manage for the time being as he continued staring up at her like she was a mythical creature. 

“I take that as a yes?” Gladio said.

Prompto nodded weakly.

Gladio approached her.” Hey, you wanna make someone’s night?” he yelled as he looked up at her.

She squinted for a moment before recognizing him and breaking into a huge smile. 

“Depends. Who’re we talkin’ about?”

Gladio pointed to Prompto who was gawking at the two of them.

“Oh it would be _my pleasure,”_ she grinned, looking Prompto up and down. “He looks like a little southern boy, don’t he?” she said as Gladio took her hand and helped her down. 

“I mean, don’t go too crazy cause I’m tryna take him home tonight,” Gladio said in her ear, “But I wouldn’t mind a little three-way action if you know what I mean.”

“Oh sugar, I know _exactly_ what you mean,” she grinned, taking Gladio’s hand as she approached Prompto. She immediately put a hand behind Prompto’s neck and pulled his closer, grinding her luscious hips into him before turning around and doing the same with her ass, pulling his arms around her and guiding them across her chest and stomach, then down to her thighs.

She put out her arms and invited Gladio into the fold. He happily grinded into her, enjoying the way her breasts pressed to his chest. He might not be straight, but hell, even Gladio could appreciate that he was a lucky man at the moment.

He looked at Prompto who stared back at him in awe, seeming barely able to comprehend the magnificence of the situation. Gladio put one hand over Cindy’s shoulder to grip Prompto’s shoulder as the three of them moved together.

“You mind if I kiss him?” Cindy asked.

“Be my guest, if he’s into it.”

“Oh honey,” she grinned, “I don’t think we need to worry ‘bout that.” 

She turned to Prompto and wrapped her arms around his neck. She was a few inches taller than him given the height of her heels, and it was actually a little bit adorable and extremely gratifying to watch Prompto get so happily womanhandled. Gladio couldn’t deny it was hot, and it put an idea in his head. 

“Prompto!” Gladio yelled, and Prompto parted from Cindy’s lips looking happily dazed, his face red, hair all out of place. He looked sexy as fuck. “You should show Cindy your moves!”

Cindy turned to side eye Gladio with an intrigued expression before Prompto turned around and started dutifully twerking on her. Cindy immediately responded by grinding into him and laughing in delight as she clenched Prompto’s waist. 

Prompto turned back around and kissed her one last time before she backed away. Cindy pinched his cheek. “I gotta go, baby,” she said. “I’ve got to change before my boyfriend comes to pick me up, but honey, you can _twerk_!” she squealed. “I’ve said this a hundred times about the guys Gladio’s dated, but in this case, I’m tellin‘ it to you, Gladio. You’re a lucky man! See you next week, honey,” she said, kissing Gladio’s cheek before giving Prompto one last parting kiss on the lips.

“Her _boyfriend_ doesn’t mind that she does that?!” Prompto exclaimed.

“Ardyn? Nah. He’s a cool guy. Real kinky. I bet he gets off on it….Kinda like me. That was really hot.”

“You’re tellin’ me. Can we take a breather?”

They made their way towards the outdoor balcony, overlooking the Las Vegas Strip. It was a little quieter, and Gladio enjoyed being able to see Prompto’s face better, especially his eyes.

“You having a good night, Prompto?”

“Honestly, might be one of the best nights of my life.”

“Please don’t tell me it’s all because of Cindy.”

“She helped, but...it’s mostly ‘cause of you,” Prompto said with what could only be described as a shit-eating grin. 

Gladio put an arm around him as they looked out at the glittering Las Vegas skyline. 

“I’m just gonna say it,” Gladio announced. “Maybe it’s cause I’m buzzed, but I have the biggest crush on you, Prompto, and I’m gonna be depressed when you leave on Sunday.”

“Me too,” Prompto agreed. “Like I would totally date you if you lived in L.A.”

The admission made Gladio smile. He’d suspected, but it was nice to have it confirmed. “Same. I wish we could do this every night. You ever thought about moving to Las Vegas?”

“Not until now,” Prompto mused, looking up at him. “Things are a little tough for me in L.A. If Ara and Luna didn’t let me stay in their spare bedroom, I’d be fucked.”

“Well, you know there’s like a million chapels here, and a ton of weddings you could photograph. Just saying. I know it’s crazy because we just met today, but fuck it. I like you, and I want to date you.”

“I really, really like you too, big guy.”

“Big guy? Where’d that come from?”

“I don’t know, but I like it, and I’m gonna keep sayin’ it,” Prompto declared. 

Gladio laughed. It was nice to hear Prompto being a little more himself, not so shy as before. “I can get down with that.”

“I wanna get down with you,” Prompto announced as he led Gladio back to the dance floor.

* * *

At some point in the night, Aranea and Luna left, then Ravus departed _with_ Noctis and Iggy, Gladio noted proudly, leaving just the two of them.

“You wanna go home?” Gladio asked.

“Never!” Prompto announced before demanding Gladio buy him another drink. He happily obliged, and they stayed, dancing and drinking, occasionally having little heart-to-hearts on the outdoor patio, until the club closed at 4am.

As they exited, Gladio looked down at Prompto’s feet in disbelief.

“What happened to your other shoe?” Gladio asked.

“My boot!” Prompto exclaimed, looking at his feet in disbelief.

“Prompto!” Gladio could barely get his words out through his laughter. “Tell me how you lost _one_ shoe and didn’t even notice it until I pointed it out?! How long has it been missing?!”

He was sure his face was incredulous, but he had to admit he was charmed all the same. Prompto was full of all kinds of surprises, and Gladio’s face was sore from how much he’d been smiling and laughing all night.

“I don’t knowwww,” Prompto wailed. “I seriously have no clue,” he said before dissolving into laughter again.

Prompto didn’t seem overly concerned about it, so Gladio let it be (though it didn’t keep his mind from speculating and coming up blank) until they arrived on Las Vegas Boulevard to begin their walk back to the Cosmo. Gladio figured walking would be good for them considering how much they’d drank, and he was hoping to show Prompto the famous Bellagio fountains which they’d have to pass on their walk back.

“I don’t think you should be walking on this gross sidewalk in bare feet,” Gladio said. “Wanna hop on my back?”

“Like a piggy back ride?!” Prompto said gleefully as he did what Gladio suggested.

Gladio was lucky that Prompto wasn’t heavy, and that Gladio had enough booze in his system to numb his muscles somewhat. They made it across the street to the Bellagio where Gladio sat Prompto down on the fence that formed the perimeter of the large pool where the fountain show was displayed.

The height of the fence compensated for their height difference, and Gladio happily leaned in for a kiss.

This kiss was different, soft and smooth, and Gladio was pleased to discover Prompto was a really good kisser in addition to every other amazing thing about him.

Their attention was distracted as the show began. 

“You know this song?” Gladio asked.

“It isn’t?” Prompto asked in disbelief.

“Oh, it is. Every Vegas night needs to end with a little patriotism,” he said as Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.” played over the loudspeakers.

It actually was an impressive show with the drama added by the fountains that shot water hundreds of feet above them in perfect time with the music.

It was romantic too, being here with Prompto who was absolutely enchanted by the display, his eyes only ever leaving it to share a look of utter and awed disbelief with Gladio.

When it was over, Prompto was speechless for a bit. 

“You sure there’s nothing left on your bucket list before I take you back to the hotel?” Gladio asked. “The night’s still young by Vegas standards.”

“I know it’s lame, dude, but I kinda wanna get to bed. I’m sleepy.”

Gladio smiled at him before turning around so Prompto could climb on his back once more.

Prompto was half-asleep by the time they reached the doors of the Cosmo, and though Gladio didn’t want to wake him, his arms were starting to burn, so he gently put him on his feet and let Prompto lean on him on the elevator ride up.

“Do you want me to go home or…?” Gladio asked.

“No, you gotta stay,” Prompto said warmly. 

Gladio was happy to realize that with Ravus off with Noctis and Iggy, they had a room to themselves. 

Gladio hadn’t expected to spend the night, so he had brought nothing useful with him. He ended up stripping down to his briefs and swishing some listerine before returning to bed to find Prompto already passed out.

Gladio got into bed next to him, and Prompto curled into his side, resting his head on Gladio’s chest.

“That was a fun night,” Prompto whispered, his breath a pleasant tickle on Gladio’s bare skin, though not pleasant enough to make him want to do anything but sleep at the moment.

“I thought so too,” Gladio replied, pressing a kiss to Prompto’s forehead before happily dozing off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter contains a luxurious afternoon at the pool as well as Prompto getting to see Gladio AND Nyx strip - still living the dream! 
> 
> By the way, if you have any theories about how Prompto lost a single shoe, I’d love to hear them 🤣


	3. Prompto Gets Lucky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must say this fic has one of the most delightful comments sections I’ve ever beheld! I would totally party in Vegas with every one of you & you made this so fun to write. Thank you so much! <3

Gladio woke at 7am next to a fully clothed Prompto who was adorably tangled up in the comforter. Gladio had gotten all of two hours of sleep, but given that he usually adhered to a strict morning workout ritual, he knew he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep again.

Besides, he was on a mission. He took the elevator to the casino floor to find it was still remarkably busy for an early Saturday morning. There were people playing slots, some enthusiastically, some bleary-eyed like they’d been up losing all night.

Gladio walked along Las Vegas Boulevard, the same route he’d taken Prompto on the previous evening. The Bellagio fountains were dormant now, but the large pool of water still sparkled peacefully in the powerful sun that was already hot enough to cover him in a sheen of sweat.

He entered the Caesars Palace casino, feeling a welcome burst of air conditioning before he made his way towards Omnia to see what intel he could get on Prompto’s boot.

He had to schmooze a janitor to let him come inside and question the cleaning staff only to discover it had been thrown away.

“I just threw it in there a few minutes ago!” a woman insisted as she fished it out.

Gladio thanked her with a warm smile and what was left in his wallet and made his way back, single ratty boot in hand. On closer inspection, it was obvious Prompto needed new shoes, even if his grunge punk look did suit him pretty well.

Gladio stopped at the Starbucks on the casino floor and ordered a couple vanilla lattes for Luna and Aranea, a plain coffee for himself, and some iced tea lemonade for Prompto, figuring he was probably as dehydrated as Gladio felt. He grabbed some breakfast sandwiches and pastries and tried not to dwell on the $75 bill as he snuck a couple sips of the tea and made his way back to the hotel room.

He was surprised to find Prompto stir and wake when he arrived. All else was quiet in the suite, so he assumed the bachelorettes must still be sleeping.

“Found your boot,” he said.

The amazement on Prompto’s face was all the thanks Gladio could’ve wanted. 

“No way, dude! How’d you find it?”

“Had to bribe some cleaning staff, but I figured it was worth it since you mentioned it’s your only pair,” Gladio said, sitting it down on the floor before grabbing his coffee, Prompto’s lemonade, and the food he’d acquired and laying it all out on the bed. 

With Prompto’s permission, he cracked the curtains to reveal an incredible view of the eastern mountains in the distance before sitting cross-legged across from Prompto and digging into their little feast.

Prompto was quiet, but kept eyeing him.

“How’re you feeling?” Gladio asked.

“I’m good. Surprisingly good considering how much I drank. Then again, I might just still be drunk. I can’t tell anymore,” he smiled, taking a bite of a muffin.

“I feel surprisingly good too. I think it might just be because I’m with you though.”

Prompto blushed and looked at him seriously. “You know this is the first time in my entire life that someone’s brought me breakfast in bed?”

“Seriously? I thought guys would be lining up to bring you breakfast in bed. Or ladies,” he added, remembering Prompto’s fling with Cindy the previous evening.

Prompto scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah, no. No one’s ever done anything as nice for me as anything you’ve done this weekend. I mean, my friends maybe, but no one who I, um, had a crush on.”

 _A crush._ He smiled. “How many people have you dated? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“I’ve _gone_ on dates and stuff, but umm outside of high school, I’ve never really dated anyone, not for long at least.”

Gladio forced himself not to say what he wanted to say which was something like, _what the fuck humankind?_ Instead he asked, “How old are you?” 

“Twenty-two. You?”

“Twenty-seven.”

There was a pause in the conversation as Prompto started itching his eyelids.

“You okay?” Gladio asked.

“Yeah, my eyes are just super dry. Oh shit! Forgot to take out my contacts!” he moaned, walking to the bathroom. “Shoot, do you see my glasses anywhere? Black frames?”

Gladio smiled to himself. Prompto _would_ take out his contacts with zero idea where his glasses were. Thankfully, Gladio found them easily. 

Prompto put them on, and Gladio’s brain momentarily short-circuited.

“Everything good?” Prompto asked.

“Yup, you just look really cute in glasses.”

“Aww really? Thanks.” 

“So what’s the plan for today?” Gladio asked, trying to act casual even though the adorable sight of Prompto was really doing a number on him.

“I think we’re heading to the pool, then your show later, and I think that’s it. Were you able to get us tickets?”

“Yup, Nyx texted me back. You’re good for the 8:30 show.”

“Awesome. That’ll be fun.”

“You know, no one I’ve ever dated has actually come to my show before.”

“Whaaa? Why _wouldn’t_ they want to? I mean, come _on_ ,” Prompto said, looking him up and down. “Who could say no to more of that?”

Prompto’s cheeks colored once more, and Gladio laughed before he explained. “Maybe they’re jealous or something. It’s a raunchy show, to be fair, and the cast consists almost entirely of super hot gay guys, but it’s just a job.”

“Their loss, dude. You’re...well, besides being super hot, you’re like the nicest guy I’ve ever met.”

“Well, I could say the same for you. You’re sweet and sexy and you can _twerk_ , like holy shit. The memories of last night are all coming back to me. Fuck, Prompto. You’re a great dancer.”

“Yeah, well, so are you. I’m not an, er, _professional_ or anything.”

“You could be, if you wanted. But whatever. If you only danced with me, I’d be happy with that. Maybe throw in Cindy too,” he winked.

Prompto fell back on the bed and let his head crash into his pillow, smiling dreamily. _The drama._ Gladio lived for it.

“Not gonna lie, Cindy was _uh-mazing.”_

Prompto turned to his side and looked at Gladio with those gorgeous eyes of his.

“You done with the food?” Gladio asked. 

Prompto nodded, and Gladio set their breakfast on the nightstand before laying just a few inches from Prompto and taking a moment to admire the freckles that dotted his face. He was so incredibly gorgeous, Gladio couldn’t stop himself from wrapping his fingers behind Prompto’s neck and kissing him.

“You’re an amazing kisser. I think I forgot to tell you that last night,” Gladio said.

“You too,” Prompto agreed, pulling Gladio closer until their bodies were flush, and Gladio could reach a hand down to give Prompto’s magnificent ass a squeeze.

“Damn, I can’t wait to fuck you,” Gladio whispered, and he felt Prompto stiffen in his arms. “Hey, sorry. I didn’t mean to push things too fast!”

“Nah, it’s not that,” Prompto said, “It’s just...honestly...the only time I had sex with a dude was kinda _bad._ I mean, we probably just didn’t do it right...I’m just nervous to try again. I’ve only been with women since then...”

“It’s cool, Prompto. I’m happy just to kiss you. I don’t mind taking things slow,” he said, leaning to taste Prompto’s lips again before Prompto stopped him.

“I don’t mean I don’t wanna _try._ Just…”

“There’s other things we could do,” Gladio suggested. “Whatever you’re comfortable with.”

“Thanks. I wouldn’t mind trying a few things,” he grinned.

“And I don’t mean to be too forward, but just putting it out there...I wouldn’t mind bottoming. I actually like it. It’s just most guys want me to top, but it’s not like I care. Sex is sex, ya know?”

Prompto was looking at him like he couldn’t comprehend the words coming from his mouth.

“You okay?” Gladio asked.

Prompto laid on his back and stared at the ceiling again. “I just can’t believe it.”

“What?”

“You’re too good to be true, dude.”

“Uh, would you mind calling me Gladio?” he asked. “Not like dude is bad, but I dunno. Makes me sound like just your friend.”

“Sorry, du- sorry. That’s just what I call everyone. So, _Gladio,_ you really want me to bang you?”

“Hell yeah, I do,” Gladio said, straddling Prompto before he leaned down to kiss him.

“You have three seconds to stop fucking,” a voice announced that, if he didn’t know better, he would say was Noctis. The voice counted down before Noctis entered with Ravus following close behind him.

Ravus barley glanced at them before retrieving his laptop and charger and departing without a word.

“Huh,” Noctis smirked. “He wasn’t so standoffish last night. Gave him a ride back to the hotel and everything, and valet isn’t cheap, by the way. Oh well. No regrets. So how was _your_ night?” he asked, eyebrows raised comically as he stared between the two of them.

“Lots of fun,” Gladio answered before Prompto could die of embarrassment. “We stayed ‘til closing, even caught the fountain show.”

“Eh really? What song?”

“God Bless the U.S.A.”

“ _Lol._ Good one. Gotta say the Sinatra ones are my fave though. You?”

“Time to Say Goodbye.”

“Classic. What’s your favorite song, Prompto?”

“Party in the U.S.A.”

Gladio and Noctis shared an amused look.

“What?” Prompto asked. 

“Nothing. It’s a great song,” Gladio said. Maybe not the _best_ song, but it actually made a lot of sense it would be Prompto’s favorite.

“Just sayin’, it makes for a great sing-a-long!” Prompto insisted. Gladio smiled at that, totally distracted from Noct’s presence when Prompto was so damn cute.

“So what now?” Noctis asked, picking up one of the lattes and taking a sip before digging out a danish from the bag and sitting on the bed. “You know I would’ve preferred a Frappuccino,” he told Gladio. 

“Iggy would let you drink that?”

“When Iggy’s away, Noctis will play,” he replied, taking a long drag of the coffee. 

“Where is he anyway?” Gladio asked.

“Don’t know. He said something about needing to go to the bank? Maybe? Can’t remember. Mostly I think he was just embarrassed about Ravus. Iggy went _pret-ty_ wild last night, and he’s got a mean hangover today. I didn’t wanna be around him anyway. You know how he gets.”

“Yeah, I know. Iggy with a hangover is as close to hell as I ever wanna get.”

“Amen, brother,” he agreed. “So I think Ravus mentioned this place has a nice pool?”

* * *

  
Gladio returned home to grab his swimsuit before arriving at a luxurious private cabana at the Cosmopolitan pool where modern music blasted from overhead speakers and everyone looked fine as hell. Prompto was lounging by himself, kicked back, probably playing a game on his phone by the looks of it, still fully clothed (though in swim shorts and a t-shirt now). He was drinking one of the Mike’s Hard Lemonades Gladio had brought him the day before.

“Where is everyone?” Gladio asked.

Prompto looked at Gladio and unabashedly checked him out before pushing his glasses up on his nose and blushing. Honestly, could he be any more adorable?

“In the pool,” Prompto explained.

“You’re still not gonna get in?”

“I’m still self-conscious. I know it’s stupid,” Prompto admitted, standing up and wrapping his arms around Gladio’s waist. The intimacy took Gladio by surprise, but he didn’t at all mind having Prompto squished in his arms, whatever the reason. 

“It’s not stupid,” Gladio comforted, “Like I said, I used to be self-conscious too.”

“Kinda hard to believe, dude–I mean, Gladio.”

“You’ve just gotta own it,” Gladio encouraged. “It took me a long time to realize that no one cared about how I looked as much as I did. And just be proud you lost the weight. I know from experience it’s not easy. Besides, I _like you,_ Prompto, and yeah, it was because I thought you were hot at first, but now I know you have an awesome personality too, and I would like you no matter how you look.”

“Hmm…,” Prompto said, looking up at him with those endearing puppy-dog eyes.

Gladio let his hands drift down Prompto’s waist to where his shirt met his swim trunks. 

Prompto gasped slightly at his touch, and Gladio covered his parted lips with a kiss as he worked his hands under the fabric, lifting his shirt slightly so he could touch the bare skin of Prompto’s stomach. 

“Can I take your shirt off?” Gladio whispered his request gently in Prompto’s ear. 

Prompto nodded, and Gladio removed it delicately before pulling Prompto into another kiss, enjoying the way Prompto’s soft skin pressed against the bare muscles of his chest.

Gladio let his hands drift to Prompto’s ass. He gave it a good, long squeeze as he pressed his mouth deeper before he realized that even though they had three walls of privacy in the cabana, there was still a wall missing, exposing them to everyone walking by. 

Gladio pulled away to find Prompto looking raw and helpless and totally undone. It was hot as fuck, and it made Gladio’s imagination run wild, but he knew his fantasies would have to wait.

“So...you wanna go to the pool now?”

“Uh, give me a sec? I kinda have a boner,” Prompto admitted. 

“Yeah, me too,” Gladio smiled. “This swimsuit is just so tight it hides it...Hey, uhhh, I was wondering if you’d wanna come back to my place after the show tonight?”

“Really?”

“Yeah, we could try out some of the things we talked about earlier.”

“Yup,” Prompto squeaked. “Sounds cool.”

“Awesome,” Gladio said, taking the opportunity to check Prompto out, albeit discreetly. 

He didn’t know what the fuck Prompto was talking about. He was hot, like really hot, like so hot Gladio was considering the possibility of blowing him in this cabana right now. He was too distracted by the surprise that was the barbells in Prompto’s nipples to notice or care about the stretch marks Prompto had mentioned earlier.

“Okay, I don’t want to make you self-conscious, but whatever. I couldn’t stop myself from checking you out, and you’re gorgeous, Prompto. I can’t wait to have you all to myself.”

Prompto wrapped his arms around Gladio’s neck, and he must’ve been on his tip toes given how aggressively he was getting at Gladio’s mouth. Gladio’s hands were touching every bit of Prompto he could reach before he remembered once more that they were still in public. He’d hate to put a fellow hospitality worker in the position of having to call them out.

Prompto was flushed, his lips red and ripe, his face sweet as he looked up at Gladio.

“Your eyes are really pretty,” Prompto said, and something about the chasteness of Prompto’s compliment when he could’ve said something dirty melted Gladio’s heart entirely. 

“Right back atcha,” Gladio said.

“I _guess_ I could go in the pool now. It is really hot out.”

“Super hot. Let’s do it.”

At Gladio’s insistence, Prompto allowed Gladio to slather him with sunscreen, and it was honestly pretty hot seeing the way Prompto responded to his touch. Tonight would most definitely be worth the wait.

* * *

They walked hand-in-hand to join the rest of the group who, judging solely off their overly enthusiastic greeting, were already at least a few drinks in. Gladio was pleased to find Ignis had arrived, and when Prompto entered into a whispered conversation with Aranea and Luna, Gladio cornered his best friend at the edge of the pool.

“So Iggy, how was last night?” Gladio asked with a smirk.

“It was fine,” Ignis evaded.

“You know Noct is gonna tell me everything anyway, right?”

“I don’t know what you expect me to say,” Ignis grumbled. 

Noct was right about Ignis’s hangover putting him in a foul mood, but Gladio pressed on.

“Where is your second boyfriend anyway?”

“He had some business matters to attend to.”

“Matters more urgent than your dick, I guess?”

Ignis begrudgingly grinned at that. “Oh fine, Gladio. Since I know you're incorrigible, I’ll admit it was rather enjoyable.”

“Any plans to do it again?”

“I suppose I would not object if the occasion arose,” Ignis replied, taking a generous sip of whatever cocktail he was drinking.

“Damn, Iggy. Never thought you’d end up in a threesome. You need to come out with me more often. Seems like good things happen when you do.”

“I don’t know if hooking up with a stranger was a _good_ thing.”

“C’mon, Iggy! At least it was more fun than painting Noct’s apartment! You’re just lucky I convinced Noct to take you out.”

“I don’t imagine he needed much convincing…”

“No, because he’s _cool._ Said it before, and I’ll say it again. I’m really glad the two of you met...So you’re still coming to the show tonight, right?”

“I don’t think Noctis would allow me to miss it.”

“Hah. Hope you’re ready.”

“I doubt I am.”

“Don’t worry. Drinks are on the house. I’ll make sure you all have a good time.”

* * *

Gladio was backstage now, slicking his body with oil for their opening routine. 

“Hey Nyx, you think you could pull Prompto onstage for your act tonight?”

“Hell yeah. That’s the guy you texted me about, right?”

“Yup.”

“How are things going with him?”

“Great. He’s fun. You’ll see.”

“Can’t wait. We should do something special for the bachelorettes too, right?”

“The platinum blonde one, Luna. I think we should get her onstage for the cowboy act.”

“Done. We’ll make sure they have a good time,” Nyx winked.

* * *

Gladio could only imagine what Prompto was thinking as Gladio appeared onstage with the rest of the cast. They were all dressed as pseudo-priests. The ominous monk chant accompanying their arrival morphed into an edgy remix of “Earned It” as they sensuously removed their clothing until they were donning only the signature Chippendale’s bow tie and black briefs. The scene ended with Gladio and his cast mates provocatively humping the stage before the lights faded to black. 

While the second act began (a firefighter-themed number), Gladio was free to work the room. He made his way down long rows of tables lined with seated ladies, occasionally stopping to give brief lap dances or pulling faces towards his crotch. 

Gladio had gotten so used to doing shit like this that he hadn’t thought about how _weird_ it was for a very long time, and knowing his audience tonight included his love interest _and_ his prudish best friend made it feel that much stranger.

It was still pretty fun though, the way the ladies (and occasionally guys, when Gladio was lucky enough to find them) laughed and hollered and grabbed his ass.

When Gladio finally made it to his friends’ VIP booth, it was obvious he had nothing to worry about. Prompto was beaming up at him in awed disbelief.

Gladio coaxed Prompto out of his seat and took hold of Prompto’s hands, gliding them up his bare chest before placing them on his ass. Gladio didn’t let just anyone get this handsy with him, but it definitely wasn’t out of bounds for the audience participation portion of their show. Hell, he could see Nyx two tables down doing a version of the same thing.

He wanted to do _much_ more than just that, but he had to keep working the room, so he deposited a dazed and happily blushing Prompto back in his seat and flashed a smile at the rest of the table.

Aranea was laughing so hard she looked like she might fall over, and everyone else was at least smiling, except for Ignis who was pale and frowning and looked away as soon as Gladio made eye contact.

Gladio spotted a waitress he knew passing by.

“Hey, could you get my friend here a double gin martini?”

She winked at him in assent before departing for the bar.

He had to speak to Prompto one last time before he left. 

“Is it cool if my friend brings you onstage for the next act?”

Prompto looked like his birthday had come early as he nodded.

It took _all_ Gladio’s self-restraint not to kiss his sweet face, but he settled for squeezing his hand under the table instead before continuing his rounds.

As the next song began, Nyx arrived onstage wearing only a towel around his waist, asking if there was anyone who wanted to help “dress him.”

No more than a minute later, Prompto was seated in a chair onstage with all six feet of Nyx standing between him and the audience. Nyx gestured for Prompto to remove his towel, so it would appear to everyone as though Prompto were seeing Nyx totally nude when in reality his private parts were covered in a skin-colored pouch (because shows with full nudity were not allowed to sell alcohol, and Chippendales _definitely_ wanted to sell alcohol).

Even considering the fact that Prompto couldn’t see everything, Nyx wasn’t exactly a chore to look at, and Prompto was comedic gold as Nyx handed him a pair of pants to pull up his legs. Of course, Nyx stopped Prompto in order to take him by the nape of the neck and make it appear to the audience as though Prompto were blowing him.

The very idea of the two of them together made Gladio hard, and he didn’t know if he could watch the rest of the act if he was going to keep it together for his “men at work” scene which was coming up next.

It turned out he couldn’t take his eyes off them either as Nyx pulled Prompto from his seat in one smooth gesture and laid him on the stage before humping him from above as the lights faded. 

Gladio arrived just in time to guide Prompto back to his booth.

“Did you enjoy that?” he asked.

“First Cindy, now _that guy?!_ This is more attention than I’ve ever gotten in my entire life!”

“Just wait until tonight,” Gladio whispered in his ear as they arrived back at the table.

Gladio didn’t have much time to linger since he had to change into his next uniform, but he did stay long enough to ascertain that Iggy at least had his gin martini. Noctis gave him a thumb’s up and a wink as Gladio departed with one parting look at Prompto.

Gladio felt a little ache in his chest as he remembered that Prompto would be leaving tomorrow.

This weekend had been so glorious in every way, full of constant delight and surprises. Prompto had this bright energy about him, and Gladio never wanted to be without it again. He had a sudden desire to move to Los Angeles, which was insane because Gladio, like all Las Vegas locals, made a habit of complaining about L.A.–the poor air quality, the traffic, the insanely high rent.

But wouldn’t it be worth it to keep Prompto in his life?

He’d have to figure something out. Gladio was determined never to do without Prompto again.  
  


* * *

Two acts later, Luna was onstage as “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy” played. Gladio was tying a lasso around her waist before sending her down a line of nearly nude cowboys who spun her until her body was wrapped in rope.

Afterwards, Gladio had the pleasure of escorting her back to her table.

“How was it?” he asked.

“It was wonderful, but there’s something else I’ve been wanting to tell you. I’m really glad you’re with Prompto,” she gushed. “You’re so-good for-him,” she slurred, obviously a little drunk. “And he never dates nice guys, or women for that matter, even-though _he’s_ so nice. I’m just _so happy,_ ” she gushed as she hugged Gladio’s waist.

“I’m happy too,” Gladio said. “All of you are amazing.”

Gladio only had time to wink at Prompto before he glanced at Ignis who was _totally, 100%_ staring at his dick.

“Iggy! The fuck!” Gladio exclaimed, trying not to laugh.

Ignis didn’t even notice he was being called out (probably a result of the three empty martini glasses sitting in front of him), but Noctis erupted in laughter, quickly joined by the rest of the table.

* * *

Gladio offered his guests a ride after the show was over, and now Aranea and Luna were in his back seat while Prompto rode shotgun. Ravus, Ignis, and Noctis followed somewhere behind in a Lyft since they were all too drunk to drive.

“WAIT A MINUTE!” Luna screamed.

“What, baby?” Aranea asked.

Gladio looked at them in the rear-view mirror as Luna declared, “Let’s get married tonight!”

“Are you serious?!”

“Yes, look at all these cute little chapels!”

“Do it! Do it! Do it!” Prompto drunkenly chanted.

Gladio laughed. “I agree that would be amazing, but technically you can’t get a marriage license when you’re wasted. I _do_ know a place that does commitment ceremonies though, _and_ they have a drive thru.”

The enthusiastic reaction had him making a u-turn on Las Vegas Boulevard and pulling into an elaborate drive-thru tunnel with a garish mural of chubby little Cupids painted over a night sky. The declaration, “I can’t live without you” was written in large, white cursive letters across the center.

Aranea was gripping his shoulders from the back seat. “How did you find this place? It’s _perfect!”_

The ceremony was hilarious, if brief, performed by an overweight Elvis impersonator who seemed about as wasted as Gladio’s passengers.

They all sat in the car with the top down while The King serenaded them from the drive-thru window.

Prompto didn’t stop smiling once, and his hand kept wandering to Gladio’s thigh or clasping his hand.

For their part, Aranea and Luna only stopped laughing long enough to exchange their vows, including promises to keep their “hunka hunka burnin’ love alive.”

It wasn’t until Gladio took his phone off silent that he realized he had 23 missed calls from Ignis and Noctis. He rang Noctis to let him know he’d be dropping the three of them off on Fremont Street before he left to park his car at his apartment complex and walk back.

To Gladio’s delight, Prompto insisted on staying with him, and once he pulled into his space in the underground parking garage, Gladio found out why.

It was only a matter of seconds before Prompto was crawling over the center console to straddle him.

Gladio was so pleasantly distracted by the aggressive way Prompto was kissing him and grinding into his lap that he forgot the top of the Regalia was down and security made regular rounds of the lot.

“We should go,” Gladio warned, but Prompto just shook his head and produced a naughty smile that ate Gladio’s heart before he kneeled down in the small space between Gladio’s legs.

“Fuck, Prompto,” he moaned as Prompto reached for his belt buckle and started stroking him over his clothes before undoing his zipper. “Well, at least let me put the top back on,” he said, short of breath as he pushed the button to do so, staring into Prompto’s hungry eyes as they waited for it to lock into place.

“Now?” Prompto asked.

“Yes, just, um, fuck,” Gladio said as Prompto started pulling down his underwear. “Just, uh, if security comes by you have to–wow, fuck–just, we’ll have to take it…” _upstairs_ was what he’d intended to say, but he couldn’t get the words out once Prompto’s mouth got to work. As Gladio laced his fingers into Prompto’s hair and Prompto looked up at him with a naughty twinkle in his eye, he quickly decided he didn’t give one fuck about security. Prompto would make any hassle worth his while.

* * *

Thankfully, they didn’t get caught, and Prompto was smiling ear to ear as they walked to join the others on Fremont Street. 

They ended up at a hipster chic club dancing to early 2000s hits, and Gladio got an even better view of Prompto’s dance skills. Instead of twerking, Prompto was practically jumping around the floor with his enthusiastic moves alternating somewhere between hip hop and nerd stuff that kept a constant smile on Gladio’s face.

When Gladio snuck away to request “Party in the U.S.A.,” Prompto could not have been more pleased.

As the song concluded, Noctis appeared at their side. “Iggy’s about to assault the two of you. I have a sixth sense for this kind of thing. If you wanna avoid him, just tell me, and I’ll try to hold him back, but I can only keep him at bay for so long. Guy’s got _muscles!”_

“Where is he?” Gladio asked.

Noctis pointed, and Gladio saw Ignis’s unmistakably predatory stare directed at Prompto.

“I’ll handle it,” Gladio assured Noctis.

“May the odds be ever in your favor,” Noctis announced. “I have done my duty, and now I shall retreat to the bar.”

Gladio looked at Prompto. “You wanna get out of here?”

Prompto nodded. 

They stopped to let their friends know they were leaving (with the exclusion of Ignis) before Gladio guided Prompto away from the glitzy neon lights of Fremont Street towards the quieter blocks that led to his apartment complex.

As they walked, the slight buzz he’d gotten from the bar made the words spill out. “I’m so sad you’re leaving tomorrow. This has been one of the best weekends of my life.”

“Me too, dude.”

Gladio didn’t bother to correct him this time. He’d happily be called _dude_ by Prompto any day of the week if it meant Prompto was still by his side.

“I’m sorta thinking about moving here,” Prompto announced.

“Are you serious? Because I was thinking about moving to L.A.”

“L.A. sucks, dude. I wanna live here. Or, at least I’m thinking about it. Just, all my friends live in L.A.”

“I know the feeling. All my friends live here. But it’s only what? A five-hour drive with traffic? Or a one hour plane ride? Even if neither of us decides to move yet, I’d be interested in doing long distance, um, if you were?” Gladio asked, feeling his heartbeat increase as he waited for Prompto’s response.

Prompto only produced a nearly inaudible “hmmm,” and Gladio felt disappointment settle in his stomach. His instinct was to try to convince him it would be worth it, but he knew why people didn’t like long-distance relationships. Gladio himself had always sworn he wouldn’t be in another one after a particularly painful break up, but the thought of losing Prompto, and even worse, of Prompto finding someone else, made his heart sink as they arrived in his apartment building and ascended the elevator to the top floor. 

“Um, Gladio,” Prompto said. “I guess...I guess I would consider long distance.”

His delivery was unconvincing, and Gladio got the impression Prompto was just saying it to smooth things over and not spoil their evening. “It’s cool, Prompto. You don’t have to say that just to make me feel better. We can still have fun tonight. Sorry if I seem upset,” he apologized, hoping he could return the smile to Prompto’s face.

“No, dude–Gladio. It’s just…You’re kinda super hot, and I’m like kinda a mess. I don’t really think...I’m pretty sure you’ll get sick of me, especially if we do long distance.”

“Prompto,” Gladio chided. “You’re seriously one of the most charming guys I’ve ever met. I was thinking during the show earlier, how much I’d miss you when you’re gone.”

“See, that’s so nice, and you say that now, but I’m kind of _a lot.”_

“Yeah, I know. It’s my favorite thing about you.”

“What? Noooo,” Prompto said, even as the look in his eyes was hopeful.

“Yeah, Prompto. You make life interesting and keep me on my toes. I like that. And I’m _just_ put together enough for the two of us. I’ll keep you out of trouble if you’ll get me into some. Deal?”

Prompto smiled at that as he wrapped his arms around Gladio. “Seriously. It’s like I said earlier. You’re too good to be true.”

“Could say the same for you,” Gladio agreed as the bell dinged for his floor.

Prompto was quiet as Gladio used his key fob to open the door, but the second they were inside Prompto quite literally jumped into his arms, wrapping his legs around Gladio’s waist. Gladio happily held him up as Prompto’s mouth crashed into his and his hands fumbled for the buttons of Gladio’s shirt.

This was like a scene straight out of one of Gladio’s favorite pornos, and he’d never had someone like Prompto who was so petite and lightweight that he could hold like this so easily. Their sex life had some serious potential.

He was a little more aggressive than intended as he put Prompto on his feet and ripped off his shirt.

He noticed Prompto was eyeing him, looking a little distracted.

“Everything okay?” Gladio asked.

“I have _a request_ ,” Prompto revealed.

“A request, huh?” Gladio asked, more than a little amused at Prompto’s coy expression.

“Can you dance for me like you did at the show?”

Gladio chuckled at that. “With pleasure,” he whispered in Prompto’s ear.

Gladio went for a fully sensual and much more _personal_ version of his act, putting on some slow R&B before grinding into Prompto’s lap, stopping occasionally to claim his lips, adoring the way Prompto’s hands touched him so greedily.

His favorite part was guiding Prompto to the floor like Nyx had done earlier. Gladio started by grinding just above him, teasing him, but Prompto’s breath hitched every time Gladio got close, and he couldn’t help but press into him harder and more purposefully, knowing for sure that Prompto was just as turned on as he was as his hips bucked up to meet Gladio’s.

“I know I said I was nervous about sex,” Prompto said, breathless, “but I decided I want you to fuck me.”

Gladio’s first thought was that he didn’t have the self-control to take things as slow as Prompto needed given that he was aroused to the breaking point, but he soon discovered that the sweetness of Prompto’s vulnerable eyes and the gentleness of his touch made the sensation of preparing Prompto a genuine pleasure. By the time Prompto was a beautiful, panting mess beneath him, moaning Gladio’s name as fingers lightly clawed at his chest, Gladio was very grateful Prompto had changed his mind.

* * *

Gladio was delighted to wake up to Prompto nuzzled into the sheets just like yesterday, only this time in Gladio’s apartment. They hadn’t gotten much sleep, but damn they’d had fun, alternately talking, making out, and fooling around until the sun rose and Gladio drifted off to sleep with Prompto curled in his arms.

He popped into the shower and was pleased when Prompto unexpectedly joined him, allowing Gladio to fulfill the exact fantasy he’d masturbated to a couple days before. 

They were out of the shower and dressed now. Prompto looked adorable in one of Gladio’s t-shirts he’d hand-selected, then skillfully rubber-banded to fit.

“So when is your flight anyway?” Gladio asked reluctantly. He’d been trying so hard to forget Prompto would ever leave.

“I can’t remember. Some time this afternoon, I think. I’d ask Ara, but my phone’s dead. You got a charger?” 

Turns out Prompto had an iPhone 4. Gladio had one of those back when he was a teenager, but hadn’t seen one in a long while. 

“I might have a charger I kept from a while back.” He rifled through a shoe box where he stuffed old chords and found it.

Prompto plugged it in and took the time while it charged to pull Gladio onto the bed again. Gladio was straddling him, fully ready for another round, when the phone buzzed back to life, followed by a series of loud tings and buzzes as though it was malfunctioning.

“Shit!” Prompto explained. “What did I miss?”

Gladio moved out of the way and sat next to Prompto as a long chain of notifications appeared.

Gladio reached for his own phone and saw an almost equal number of missed calls.

“Fuck!” Prompto exclaimed. “Twenty missed calls from Ara. I’d better call her back,” he said, pacing the floor nervously and putting the phone on speaker, pausing to explain to Gladio that the internal speaker had stopped working ages ago and it was super expensive to fix.

“What the hell, Prom!” Aranea exclaimed. “The door to the plane just closed, and _now_ you decide to call me!”

“Fuck!” Prompto yelled. “What am I gonna do?”

“You’ll just have to get the next flight out, sweetie.” This time it was Luna’s voice. Gladio could just imagine Aranea getting frustrated with the conversation and pawning Prompto off to her much more patient fiancée. 

“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll figure it out. Thanks Luna. Sorry.”

“It’s alright, Prom. No big deal. Did you have fun with Gladio last night?” she asked suggestively. Prompto turned wholly red and glanced at Gladio before responding weakly, “Yup, we had fun.”

“You’re still with him, aren’t you?” Aranea said flatly, a hint of mirth in her voice. “Okay shit, flight’s leaving. We’ll text you when we land. Bye Prom. See ya Gladio. Please make sure our dumbass friend gets back to L.A.!”

“I will,” Gladio laughed.

“Oh and text me your address. You’re gonna be Prompto’s date to our wedding. September 5th,” she said before she hung up.

Prompto sat back on the edge of the bed. “I can’t believe I missed my flight! Cost me like a hundred bucks too. Damn. I’m sure the last-minute ones are expensive,” he grumbled, pulling up Safari, presumably to look for flights. “And I’m shooting a wedding at 11am tomorrow.”

“What if I drove you?”

“No way, dude. It’s like 10 hours round-trip with traffic. You don’t need to do that. I’ll just book another flight.”

“What if I _wanted_ to drive you? I’ve been wanting to take the Regalia out on the open road anyway, and I don’t have to work until Tuesday night. Maybe I could even stick around for a couple nights if you want me to?”

“You’re serious?” Prompto asked.

Gladio crouched behind him, throwing his arms around Prompto and kissing his cheek. “Dead serious. I’d love nothing more than to drive your cute ass back to L.A.”

Prompto turned and attacked him, pinning Gladio to the bed with his thighs and kissing him deeply.

“I can’t say it enough. You’re a great kisser, Prom.”

“You’re a great everything,” Prompto smiled.

Gladio basked in the compliment as he pulled Prompto closer. Sure, Prompto was a total hot mess, but he was a lovely one indeed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You thought Prompto was gonna make his flight? Of course not! 😆 
> 
> Thanks so much again for supporting this little summer romance! I leave you with the delightful image of Prompto and Gladio jamming to “Party in the USA” in the Regalia! 🥰


End file.
